A LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE STATE OF NURSING INFORMATICS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

This study examines the state of nursing informatics (NI) development in the South African health-care sector; as well as the difficulties that it faces. The purpose of this review is to determine the role of nursing informatics in South African university curricula, as well as the opportunities and problems that nurses experience while using NI. Despite the opportunities provided by the SA government in the establishment ofprimary health care (PHC), the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI), the Millennium Development Goals,and,most recently, the Sustainable Development Goals to promote effective healthcare delivery through adoption and use of nursing informatics in the country, the paper revealed that few universities offer Nl as a curriculum option.Using databases such as Ebschost, Science Direct, Scopus, and a slew of others, the literature demonstrates a knowledge gap in nursing informatics, notably in the promotion of evidence-based medicine in the South African healthcare sector. Inadequate financing, a lack ofmanagerial skills,personnel shortages, inadequate record keeping, long wait times, and an ever-increasing patient load for hospital nurses are just some of the difficulties confronting SA healthcare,according to the literature. The study suggested that the government and stakeholders have a role in promoting nursing informatics in South Africa's universities and healthcare systems. The work adds to the body of knowledge in the fields of social informatics and healthcare professions.